A new study suggests evidence proving a link between advanced gum disease with Alzheimer’s patients.
It is important to maintain your oral well-being as part of an overall healthy lifestyle. Harmful bacteria in the mouth or found elsewhere is toxic for the human body no matter where it stems from. Researchers will continue to study possible causes and treatments for Alzheimer’s as it is unlikely that there is only one sole cause for the condition.
How Are Gum Disease and Alzheimer’s Linked?
The study has proven that the porphyomonas gingivalis (p.gingivalis) bacteria that causes chronic gum disease has been found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. The bacteria release toxic enzymes inside the brain which results in the toxicity of other cells. The contaminated brain cells promote neuronal damage, suggesting the link between the two diseases.
An inhibitor is now being studied as a way to block the neuroinflammation and accumulation of an Alzheimer’s protein that is an effect of P.gingivalis in the brain. The inhibitor is used to block the toxic enzymes, known as gingipains, decreasing the bacteria’s ability to spread the disease to other cells.
What was studied?
Several sample studies were performed and below summarize their documented findings:
- A mouse model that included Alzheimer’s and gum disease was used to observe the build-up of Alzheimer’s-like plaques and the increase of impaired cognition of the animal. Molecules that were present in the outer membrane of the bacteria have been found in human brains of Alzheimer’s patients suggesting that this infection could contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s.
- They also found that P.gingivalis infected mice showed significantly higher levels of beta-amyloid 1-42 which is also found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.
- A second study using mice tested if gingipains were neurotoxic once exposed. Untreated animals that had been injected with gingipains showed a significantly higher number of degenerating neurons than those injected with a saline solution.
- Postmortem tissue from healthy and Alzheimer’s patients were used in the controlled study. Both types of specimens were studied, and the level of gingipains was significantly higher in tissue from Alzheimer’s samples.
- Scientists also found P.gingivalis and cerebrospinal fluid, the liquid that surrounds the brain in the brains of deceased Alzheimer’s patients.
- Lab cultured cell samples were purposefully infected with strains of P.gingivalis, and when not treated, the cells died at a 50% higher rate.
What Does This Mean to You?
If you or a loved one is affected by Alzheimer’s disease, please know that researchers are working diligently to curb the progression and identify causes to limit others from suffering from the disease.
If you think you have gum disease or have been putting the treatment on the back burner, give Dental Center of Mesa a call to schedule an appointment. Together, we can minimize the damage caused by gum disease.